Transporting fibre channel over ethernet

1. A method comprising the steps of: providing a Server ( 32 ) including an FCoE HBA ( 40 ); said FCoE HBA ( 40 ) including a Virtual Fibre Channel Port ( 42 ) and an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ); providing a Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); providing an FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) including an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ) and a Fibre Channel Interface ( 48 ); providing a Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ); said FCoE HBA ( 40 ) sending an FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) via said Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) is conveyed in an Ethernet Frame ( 83 ) without utilizing an IP packet; said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) converting said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to a Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an SOF field ( 124 ) for providing an SOF character used to start said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said SOF field ( 124 ) for encoding said SOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 70 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an EOF field ( 126 ) for providing an EOF character used to end said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said EOF field ( 126 ) for encoding said EOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 80 ); and said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) sending said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ) to said Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ).

2. A method as recited in claim 1 in which: said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) includes an Interface Port Identifier field ( 102 ) and an Interface Identifier field ( 104 ).

3. A method comprising the steps of: providing a Server ( 32 ) including an FCoE HBA ( 40 ); said FCoE HBA ( 40 ) including an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ); providing a Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); providing an FCoE Transformer ( 46 ); said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) including an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ) and a Fibre Channel Interface ( 48 ); providing an FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) including a plurality of Ethernet Interfaces ( 44 ), and a plurality of Fibre Channel Ports ( 54 ); providing a Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ); said FCoE HBA ( 40 ) sending an FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) via said Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) is conveyed in an Ethernet Frame ( 83 ) without utilizing an IP packet and without requiring the use of IP packets to encapsulate the Fibre Channel data; said FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) sending said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) via said Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) converting said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to a Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an SOF field ( 124 ) for providing an SOF character used to start said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said SOF field ( 124 ) for encoding said SOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 70 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an EOF field ( 126 ) for providing an EOF character used to end said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said EOF field ( 126 ) for encoding said EOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 80 ); and said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) sending said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ) to said Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ).

4. A method as recited in claim 3 in which: said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) includes an Interface Port Identifier field ( 102 ) and an Interface Identifier field ( 104 ).

5. A method comprising the steps of: providing a Server ( 32 ) including an FCoE HBA ( 40 ); said FCoE HBA ( 40 ) including an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ); providing a Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); providing an FCoE Transformer ( 46 ); said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) including an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ) and a Fibre Channel Interface ( 48 ); providing an FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) including a plurality of Ethernet Interfaces ( 44 ), and a plurality of Fibre Channel Ports ( 54 ); providing a Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ); said FCoE HBA ( 40 ) sending an FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) via said Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) is conveyed in an Ethernet Frame ( 83 ) without utilizing an IP packet and without requiring the use of IP packets to encapsulate the Fibre Channel data; said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) is sent to said FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) based in information fields contained in an FCoE Header ( 92 ) and an FCoE Type Header ( 94 ), said FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) sending said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) via said Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) converting said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to a Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an SOF field ( 124 ) for providing an SOF character used to start said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said SOF field ( 124 ) for encoding said SOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 70 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an EOF field ( 126 ) for providing an EOF character used to end said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said EOF field ( 126 ) for encoding said EOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 80 ); and said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) sending said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ) to said Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ).

6. A method comprising the steps of: providing a Server ( 32 ) including an FCoE HBA ( 40 ); said FCoE HBA ( 40 ) an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ); providing a Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); providing an FCoE Transformer ( 46 ); said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) including an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ) and a Fibre Channel Interface ( 48 ); providing an FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) including a plurality of Ethernet Interfaces ( 44 ) and a plurality of Fibre Channel Ports ( 54 ); providing a Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ); said FCoE HBA ( 40 ) sending an FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) via said Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) is conveyed in an Ethernet Frame ( 83 ) without utilizing an IP packet and without requiring the use of IP packets to encapsulate the Fibre Channel data; said FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) sending said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) via said Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) is sent to said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) based in information fields contained in an FCoE Header ( 92 ) and an FCoE Type Header ( 94 ), said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) converting said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to a Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an SOF field ( 124 ) for providing an SOF character used to start said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said SOF field ( 124 ) for encoding said SOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 70 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an EOF field ( 126 ) for providing an EOF character used to end said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said EOF field ( 126 ) for encoding said EOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 80 ); and said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) sending said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ) to said Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ).

7. A method comprising the steps of: providing a Server ( 32 ) including an Fibre Channel HBA ( 61 ); said Fibre Channel HBA ( 61 ) including a Fibre Channel Interface ( 48 ); providing an FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) connected to said Fibre Channel HBA ( 61 ); providing a Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ); providing an FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) connected to said Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ); each of said FCoE Transformers including an Ethernet Interface ( 44 ) and an Fibre Channel Interface ( 48 ); providing a Layer 2 Ethernet Switch ( 24 ); providing an FCoE Fabric ( 50 ) including Ethernet Interfaces ( 44 ) and Well Known Fibre Channel Ports ( 54 ); said Fibre Channel HBA ( 61 ) sending a Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ) to said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) connected to said Fibre Channel HBA ( 61 ); said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) converting said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ) to an FCoE Frame ( 93 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) is conveyed in an Ethernet Frame ( 83 ) without utilizing an IP packet and without requiring the use of IP packets to encapsulate the Fibre Channel data; said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) sending said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Fabric ( 46 ); said FCoE Fabric sending said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) connected to said Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ); said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) converting said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) to a Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an SOF field ( 124 ) for providing an SOF character used to start said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said SOF field ( 124 ) for encoding said SOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 70 ); said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) including an EOF field ( 126 ) for providing an EOF character used to end said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ); said EOF field ( 126 ) for encoding said EOF field Fibre Channel Frame ( 80 ); and said FCoE Transformer ( 46 ) sending said Fibre Channel Frame ( 71 ) to a Fibre Channel Device ( 23 ).

8. A method as recited in claim 7 in which: said FCoE Frame ( 93 ) includes an Interface Port Identifier field ( 102 ) and an Interface Identifier field ( 104 ).